Page 16 of At the Heart of It
Jonah didn’t watch her go. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Kate and watched as she covered the few steps that still separated them. Something about the way his eyes swept her body made Kate feel as topless as he was.
He was first to speak. “Either Viv told you where to find me, or the level of coincidence here has just gone from ‘crazy’ to ‘I need a restraining order.’”
Kate shook her head and offered a nervous smile. “Nope, it’s still just crazy.” She wiped her palms down her gray pencil skirt and wished she’d stopped at the hotel to change. She felt stiff and overdressed standing in heels and a navy silk cowl-neck top beside a shirtless man with pecs she really should stop ogling. His chest had a faint dusting of hair that left Kate wondering if it would feel as soft as it looked.
She cleared her throat. “Viv told me you’d be here,” she continued. “I felt bad about the contentious turn things took back at her place.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” he said. “I apologize. Sometimes I can be a little hotheaded when I’m caught off guard.”
Kate nodded, remembering one of the chapters in On the Other Hand where Viv and Jonah bantered about each other’s most unfavorable traits. Temper and forgetfulness had topped Jonah’s list.
Bossiness and self-righteousness had topped Viv’s.
“It’s okay, I understand,” Kate said.
“No, it’s not okay. I’m sorry. I don’t always react well to surprises.”
“Understandable,” Kate said. “Those were two pretty big ones.”
“Thanks!”
Kate turned with a start as a busty blonde jogged past with a wave for Jonah. With a grimace, Kate ordered herself to keep her voice down. She turned her attention back to Jonah, who seemed oblivious to the awkward exchange.
“Mind if I walk with you for a bit?” Kate asked him.
Jonah shrugged. “Suit yourself. It’s a free country.” He turned on his heel and started walking again. Kate fell into step beside him, hustling to keep up with those impossibly long legs.
“It is a free country,” she repeated, glancing up to watch his expression. “Interesting choice of words. One might say your military service played a role in the whole ‘free country’ thing. You might have mentioned that when we first met.”
“Why?” He looked at her. “It was a long time ago, and not what I’m doing for a living now.”
“It might have given me a clue who you were,” she said, though the odds seemed slim she would have put the pieces together even then. “Anyway, I was hoping we could talk alone for a minute.”
Jonah raised an eyebrow at her. “Yes. I seem to recall the conversation flowed a little more smoothly when my ex-wife wasn’t there.”
The comment sent a flush of heat through her face and throat, which was dumb. He was talking about conversation in general, not where the conversation had led that evening on the porch swing.
“Right. There’s that.” Kate took a deep breath as she hurried to keep up with him. “Look, I had no idea who you were when we met in Ashland.”
“The comic relief guy from a shitty relationship guide?” His tone was dry, and Kate felt an unexpected surge of defensiveness.
“You know, that book has changed a lot of people’s lives,” she snapped. “The advice about communication and honesty and?—”
“Hi, can I pet your doggie?”
Kate turned to see a woman with a blue-blond pixie cut approaching from the right. Jonah stopped so fast that Kate nearly ran into him. She put a hand out to catch herself, grazing a shoulder blade that felt like flesh-covered steel.
“Sure,” Jonah said to the blonde, fishing another business card out of his pocket. “Buster is a terrier/heeler mix, and he’s available for adoption at the Clearwater Animal Shelter.”
“So sweet!” The blonde glanced at the card, then knelt down and stroked the dog’s ears, earning herself a lick on the cheek. She smiled up at Jonah, and Kate caught a smolder of suggestion in the woman’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking of getting a dog. Which days are you there if I wanted to come by and check out what you have?”
“My schedule varies, but the shelter is open nine to five on weekdays and ten to four on weekends.”
“What a sweet, sweet puppy.” The woman accepted a few more sloppy kisses while the dog wagged and wriggled and seemed genuinely thrilled at the attention.
“So I’ll see you around,” she said to Jonah as she stood, beaming as she stole a quick glance at the broad expanse of his chest. She ignored Kate completely, probably assuming based on their mismatched attire that she was his boss or sister or parole officer. Kate straightened her skirt and watched the woman sashay away.
When the blonde was out of earshot, Kate looked up at Jonah. “This must happen to you a lot?”
